Symptoms Of Claustrophobia

Claustrophobia, derived from the Latin word claustrum, “a shut in place”, is an anxiety disorder that is involved with the fear of confined spaces. The two main symptoms that define claustrophobia are the fear of restriction and fear of suffocation. This disorder can be triggered by many different stimuli or situations. Individuals with the disorder typically feel restricted within tight spaces such as elevators, small rooms, or on airplanes, which can lead to a person to suffer panic attacks and, if worse, suffocation. For these reasons, the disorder causes many obstacles and setbacks for affected individuals; as they will prefer one location or transportation over another, requiring more time to complete necessary tasks. One example would

Scientists cannot determine the exact cause of the disorder, but they can indicate the body parts that play important roles in its development. One of the small structure of our brain, amygdala, is responsible for conditioning fear or fight or flight responses. The steps that cause a person to trigger fight or flight response are: the amygdala nuclei send out impulses from one nucleus to another, influencing a person’s respiratory rate, physical arousal, release of adrenaline, blood pressure, heart rate, and may cause a person to tense up dramatically, a panic attack. Furthermore, one study indicates that claustrophobic individuals have smaller right amygdala. Reduction in size causes interference with sending impulses to nuclei or false messages that can trigger panic attacks. Another potential cause of claustrophobia is classical conditioning-- a process where two stimuli are repeatedly paired. Classical conditioning is common during a person’s childhood. Being stuck in an accident or trapped in an elevator at a young age are examples of unexpected type of conditioning. Parents or guardians may also impose classical conditioning that can contribute to development of the

Those experiences directly increase the likelihood of claustrophobia development. Though we do not have a definite answer of how claustrophobia is developed, there are many diagnosis for the disorder. First, psychologist or psychiatrist will ask questions about symptoms and what events trigger anxiety. This allows the psychiatrist to rule out other possible phobias that are similar and decide what methods to see if the patient has the disorder or not. There are two methods, claustrophobia questionnaire and claustrophobia scale, that can determine if the patient’s anxiety is driven by fear of suffocation/restriction and how severe the disorder is. Depending on the level of claustrophobia, psychiatrist will recommend the best treatment for the patient. Most people utilize CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy), a psychological therapy that is recommended by many doctors. It is an effective treatment for most anxiety disorder to reduce the level of stress and anxiety. This treatment’s purpose is to retain patients’ mind to relax in places that they